Simplifying Active Inhibition

Techiques:

4 active inhibition techniques to know:

1- Hold –Relax:In this method the client is using MAXIMAL

MUSCLE CONTRACTION and it is ISOMETRIC (the joint is not
moving)

• Take the muscle being stretched into first barrier of

resistance –no pain- and hold
• Ask the client to MAXIMALLY CONTRACT that same
muscle against your resistance (do not allow limb/joint
to move)
• Hold for 5-10 seconds
• Ask them to release the contraction
• Take the muscle into a further (new) barrier of
resistance and repeat 3 times each time progressing
further into the new barrier and getting more of a
stretch.
2- Contract-Relax: here we are again using MAXIMAL
MUSCLE CONTRACTION but this time it is CONCENTRIC
(Limb/ joint moves slightly).

• Take muscle being stretched into its first barrier of

resistance –no pain- and hold
• Ask the client to MAXIMALLY contract that same muscle
against your resistance allowing the limb/joint to move
slightly and hold for 5-10 seconds.
• Ask them to relax that muscle
• Take it into its new barrier of resistance
• Repeat 3 times each time progressing further into the
new barrier and getting more of a stretch.
• (GTO is activated here)

3- PIR (post-isometric relaxation): Here the

muscle is being contracted SUB- MAXIMALLY and the
contraction is isometric (no joint movement) we are also
taking into consideration 2 new things here: Breathing and
eye movement.
• Take the muscle being stretched into its first barrier of
resistance – pain free.
• Ask the client to contract that same muscle (using less
than full strength) against your resistance – no limb
movement- as they take a deep breath in and count to
10 seconds
• Ask them to relax that muscle as they breathe out
through their lips
• Now take that muscle into its new barrier of resistance
and repeat 3 times
 • Note: here you can uses eye movements to increase
the stretch (e.g: get client to look left as you stretch
right upper trapezius while they breathe out)

4- Agonist Contraction (where the agonist is in reality the

antagonist to the muscle we are stretching, but it is termed this way because it is the

one contracting) :
• Passively take the muscle being stretched into its first
barrier of resistance
• Now ask the client to contract the muscles that oppose
the stretched muscles action (they will have to contract
the limb in the same direction you were stretching them
in!). Here they use SUB-MAXIMAL contraction and it is
concentric (limb/ joint slightly moves)
• Allow this contraction 10 seconds
• Ask them to relax
• Now move the limb into a new resistance barrier and
repeat 3 times
• (Uses what is known as reciprocal inhibition)

GOOD LUCK !!